Agent: Chargers, Michael Sam a 'great fit'

On Monday, Michael Sam's agent said it will be a "great fit" if they choose to again.

Sam, a former Missouri pass rusher, announced Sunday he is gay. The projected mid-round selection is set to become the first openly gay NFL player when either drafted in May or, less likely, signed as an undrafted free agent.

In 2013, the Chargers traded up in the second round to take Manti Te'o. While the inside linebacker was initially followed to San Diego by national media chasing a girlfriend hoax storyline, it proved a non-story once he arrived.

Te'o said publicly that teammates didn't broach the topic with him. Many teammates also downplayed it as something not discussed in the locker room, adding praise for the way Te'o prepared on and off the field.

He seemed to assimilate well with the Chargers. Joe Barkett, one of Sam's reps at Empire Athletes, noticed.

"You know, I think the Chargers would be a great fit for him, especially considering the way that they handled the Manti Te'o issue," Barkett said in a phone interview. "It seemed to blow over very easily once the first game had happened. I think that'd be a great spot for him to land. And he'd be close to us."

Empire Athletes is based in Los Angeles.

Sam was a defensive end at Missouri, playing in a 4-3 scheme. The Southeastern Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Year, he paced the league with 11.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss in 2013.

Given his size, some consider the 6-foot-2, 260-pound prospect a better 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL. The position is still very new to Sam; he worked there for the first time at last month's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The Chargers run a multiple 3-4 defense.

This month, Sam has the chance to demonstrate his athleticism at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

That will probably be the next time, Barkett said, that Sam will speak to reporters. Te'o did so at least year's event before a packed house.

"I expect it to be pretty big," Barkett said. "We're working with the NFL right now to see what the most appropriate way there is for Mike to address the media. Obviously, everybody is going to want to hear what he has to say. ... He definitely will be addressing the media. We're just trying to figure out what the best forum is for doing that."

Defensive linemen and linebackers at the NFL Combine are scheduled to address media on Feb. 22.